Tchaikovsky regarded his String Serenade as one of his finest works. About this piece, he said, “I wrote from inner compulsion. This is a piece from the heart, and so, I venture to hope that this work is not without artistic qualities."

Elgar’s Serenade is also a work of which the conductor himself professed to be satisfied. It is said to be a reworking of a suite Elgar had written several years earlier, before he had embarked on a career as a composer. It is therefore one of the earliest of his compositions to survive into the standard repertoire, showing off a youthful charm.

The final work, Eric Whitacre's "Five Hebrew Love Songs", is a recent composition and a unique departure from the Tchaikovsky and Elgar Serenades. Whitacre's harmonic language and creative use of rhythmic and melodic motives are evidence as to why he is one of our country's most popular new composers.